48th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties

Title: Turning Milestones into Momentum: The Next Era of Ozone and Climate Action (first in series)

Description: As we approach the 10th Anniversary of the Kigali Amendment, this Accra-Helsinki Group session offers an informal, Chatham House Rule environment for the Montreal Protocol community. We will explore pivotal policy developments and publications that will help defining the next decade of our collective work.

Contact(s):

Tapio Reinikainen

tapio.reinikainen@syke.fi

Title: Advancing Energy Efficiency in RAC Manufacturing: Lessons, Data and Pathways for Article 5 Countries

Description: This side event will explore energy efficiency improvements in RAC manufacturing across Article 5 countries, highlighting experiences from Egypt, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Mexico. It will emphasize policy implementation, including minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), data challenges, and private sector engagement to support energy efficiency integration within HFC phase-down strategies.

Contact(s):

Viktoriia Kotlubei

v.kotlubei@unido.org

Title: Financing Sustainable Cooling: From National Plans to Investment Pipelines

Description: Cooling is now more visible in national planning than at any point in the past decade, but financing remains the central implementation bottleneck. UNEP's Global Cooling Watch 2025 shows that 134 countries now include cooling in NDCs, NAPs, LT-LEDS, energy plans, or other national strategies, while 29 countries have set dedicated cooling emissions targets. The planning architecture is emerging. The challenge is turning it into investment pipelines.

This gap is becoming more costly. Under business as usual, cooling-related emissions would almost double over 2022 levels by 2050. At the same time, according to IFC-UNEP's Cooler Finance, sustainable cooling in developing economies represents annual market demand of at least USD 600 billion. The clear implication is that financing decisions made in this decade will determine whether rising cooling demand translates into climate-compatible delivery or infrastructure lock-in.

Contact(s):

Marisofi Giannouli 

marisofi.giannouli@un.org

Title: Industry Efforts on Kigali Implementation and Improving Cooling Efficiency in Developing Countries

Description: Since the early days of the Montreal Protocol, industry has played a crucial role in developing alternatives to the ozone-depleting chemicals and implementing the technology transitions. With extreme heat now being inevitable, industry has a bigger role opportunity to support HFC phasedown and improved energy efficiency and support the Global South by providing access to alternative cooling technologies that are energy efficient and reduce emissions from super polluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), especially to vulnerable economies where energy security is at risk.

This side event will share examples the latest industry developments and efforts to support Kigali implementation and improved energy efficiency in RAC technologies. It will also discuss how industry, governments and civil society can work together to support better access to sustainable cooling especially for developing countries.

Contact(s):

Denise San Valentin

denise.sanvalentin@un.org

Title: From Demonstration to Evidence: Leveraging Data to Advance Energy Efficiency in Cooling in HAT

Description: This side event highlights how data generated from demonstration projects, performance analysis, and digital monitoring can be transformed into practical evidence to accelerate the transition to energy efficient and climate friendly cooling solutions.

With a focus on natural refrigerant applications, the session will showcase real world experiences from the CoolUp Programme in HAT, including CO2 cold rooms and R290 air handling units, and discuss how performance data supports technology validation, system optimization, and informed decision making.

The event will explore the role of energy efficiency, digitalization, and IoT based monitoring in improving system performance, enabling early issue detection, benchmarking, and sustained efficiency gains, while supporting countries' efforts under the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment.

Contact(s):

Paloma Somohano

paloma.somohano@undp.org

Title: Moving ODS and HFCs Effectively Across Borders: Connecting the Montreal Protocol and Basel Communities.

Description: Large volumes of end-of-life ODS and HFC refrigerants are being recovered or identified in countries where suitable destruction capacity is limited or unavailable. To permanently prevent their emissions, these gases must ultimately be safely destroyed. When local destruction is not available, this may require moving refrigerant waste across borders to reach suitable destruction.

That movement is possible, but it requires early coordination between the Montreal Protocol and Basel Convention communities. Ozone Officers, Basel focal points, competent authorities, destruction facilities, logistics providers, and project developers all play a role in ensuring that refrigerant waste can move legally, safely, and efficiently.

The side event will build on Basel OEWG-15 discussions on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) implementation for refrigerant waste. Using real project experience and practical examples, it will explore how better coordination can help countries move refrigerants to destruction faster, in support of both Montreal Protocol and climate objectives.

Contact(s):

Oznur Ozturk

oznur.ozturk@cclab.org

Youssef Souissi

ysouissi@tradewater.us